Petty thief with 245 convictions jailed again

By Alan Erwin

A man with nearly 250 previous convictions is back behind bars after claiming he only stole steaks and candles from a Belfast supermarket as he'd blown all his benefit money on a Christmas present for his mum.

A man with nearly 250 previous convictions is back behind bars after claiming he only stole steaks and candles from a Belfast supermarket as he'd blown all his benefit money on a Christmas present for his mum.

Michael McNally was jailed again, this time for a month, although the judge admitted: "The only thing we are achieving with Mr McNally is giving the shopkeepers of Belfast a bit of a break."